Check-assorter.



G. H. JONES.

GHEGK ASSORTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1909.-

Patented May 31, 1910.

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CHECK ASSORTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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GM W fifzzfA tys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. JONES, OF STARKWEATHER, NORTH DAKOTA.

CHECK-ASSORTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. JONES, of Starkweather, Ramsey county, North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Assorters, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of a bank, particularly those in country towns having a comparatively limited number of accounts, it is customary as fast as the checks are canceled, to place them on a spindle and at the end of the days business, spread them out on a desk or table for the purpose of assorting them and placing the checks drawn against the same account together. This has been found to be an irksome task requiring considerable time and patience, as oftentimes the checks are blown around the room or are mixed up again on the table.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a receptacle in which the checks can be kept separate with those drawn on a certain account or signed by one person placed in a pocket by themselves so that at the end of the days business the bookkeeper can easily and quickly enter the checks on the ledger.

A further object is to provide a revolving receptacle having'pockets to receive the checks with means for grippin them in the pockets to prevent them from falling out on the down side of the receptacle.

The invention consists generally in means for releasing the checks in the pocket when it is on the up-side of the receptacle to allow the convenient insertion or removal of a check with one hand.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the check assorter embodied in this invention, a portion of its wall being broken away, Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, Fig. 3 is a view showing the opposite side with a portion of the wall broken away, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the middle portion of the machine.

In the drawing, 2 represents a base having standards 3 thereon provided with bearings for a stationary shaft 4. The drum 5 is mounted on said shaft and adapted to revolve thereon. This drum has a series of radial pockets 9 which are separated from one another by partitions 10. The drum has a pinion 11 thereon meshing with the teeth of a quadrant 12 that is carried by the inner end of a shaft 13 mounted in one of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1909.

' Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 534,665.

standards 3. .An operating lever 14 is secured on said shaft 13 and by means of this ters of the alphabet so t at the checks can be placed under the proper letter in the pockets and a finger 15 is preferably mounted on the lever 14 and travels past letters corresponding to those designated on the pockets upon a plate 16 that is secured to a flange 17 on the top of one of the standards 3. To hold the checks in the pockets, a series of clamps or grippers 18 are provided, pivoted at 19 and provided with springs 20 which tend to hold the clamps against the partition walls 10 and. grip the checks, drafts or other articles between them. It is desirable when the pocket is on the upside of the drum to have the checks therein relieved temporarily of the pressure of the spring to allow the clerk to conveniently remove one or more checks, or place one or more in the pocket without the necessity of using both hands. I therefore provide off-set arms 21 on the clamps 18 having anti-friction rollers 22 that are adapted to contact with the curved surface 23 of a quadrant shaped device 24 secured to one of the standards This device 24 projects inwardly from said standard and when the drum revolves past it the anti-friction rollers contact with the curved surface 23 causing the clamps 18 to be oscillated successively to swing them away from the partitions 10, At the time these clamps are operated, the pockets will be in such a position that the release of the checks therein from the pressure of the clamps will not permit the checks to drop by gravity out of the pockets and as the drum continues its revolution and the pockets approach a point where the checks might slide out, the rollers 22 will pass out of contact with the curved surface 23 and permit the clamps to resume their normal clamping position. The surface 23 may be made irregular or cam faced to obtain the desired movement of the clamp at the proper time. i

I do not wish in this application to be confined to the form of drum herein shown or the shape of the pockets or the construct-ion of the clamping means for holding the checks in the pockets, as these are all capable of various modifications and still be within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A check assorter comprising a drum receive pac of 'perip erical poc ets,

volving in a vertical plane and having a series of eripheral pockets adapted to re- Ea 'ges of bank checks or drafts, means for gripping the checks to hold them in a pocket when it is on the underside of the drum, and means for releasing the pressure on the checks when the pocket is on the upper side of the drum to allow the convenient removal of the checks or the insertion of others, for the purpose specified.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprisin a revolvin drum having a series spring pressed clamps provided therein and ada ted to grip the artlcles to be clamped, an means for actuating said clamps against the tension of their springs to relieve the pressure on the ecaeaa articles a a redetermined point in the revolution of said drum.

3 A revolving drum havin a series of peripherical pockets adapter? to receive packages or checks or similar articles, s ring pressed clamps arranged'to grip the c ecks 1n sald pockets, said clamps having off-set arms, and stationary means havin a curved surface in the path of said 0 -sets and ada ted to actuate said clamps'to release the pac ages of checks at a predetermined point.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of December 1909.

CHARLES H. JONES. Witnesses:

HOMER REsLER W. C, MGCARTY. 

